The Effectiveness of an Integrated Symptom-related Fatigue Management Program (ISFMP) on Pain, Anxiety, Fatigue Score and Lactate Levels in Low-risk Pregnant Women During Childbirth

Abstract

Background: Fatigue accumulates throughout the labor period and often occurs in conjunction with pain and anxiety during childbirth, resulting in negative effects on laboring women. Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of an integrated symptom-related fatigue management program (ISFMP) on pain, anxiety, fatigue score and lactate levels in a low-risk pregnant woman during childbirth. Method: This quasi-experimental study was conducted from August of 2021 to March of 2022 at Prachuap Khiri Khan Hospital. Sixty-five low-risk pregnant women with 32–41+6 weeks gestation were selected by the stratified random-sampling and matching techniques. They were then randomly assigned to either comparison or intervention groups. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and a visual analogue scale for pain, anxiety and fatigue. Lactate Pro 2 was used to evaluate lactate levels. Data were analyzed through statistical software (SPSS-26) using independent t-test, chi-square, repeated measure ANOVA and repeated measure multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The significance level was set at p <.05. Results: The participants in the comparison and experimental groups had varying pain, anxiety, fatigue scores and lactate levels throughout their progression of labor. Pain, anxiety and fatigue in the experimental group were significantly lower than in the comparison group (p < .001). There were no statistically significant differences in lactate levels between the two groups. Conclusion: The ISFMP was shown to be effective in lowering the symptoms of pain, anxiety and fatigue in women in labor. Midwives should apply the ISFMP in their clinical practice when caring for low-risk pregnant women.